Pedestrian killed near San Rafael Transit Center

Law enforcement officials block traffic on Hetherton Avenue at the San Rafael Traffic Center in San Rafael, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 3, 2014. A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a truck. (Laith Agha/Marin Independent Journal)
Laith Agha

A pedestrian was killed and another critically injured after being hit by a dump truck near the San Rafael Transit Center Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Police responded to a call at 12:17 p.m. to Hetherton Street between Second and Third streets. The area was closed to traffic for nearly three hours as investigators probed the accident scene.

Olga Rodriguez of Novato was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman's handbag remained next to the covered body during the investigation.

The other victim, a male, was taken to Marin General Hospital with major injuries, said San Rafael police Sgt. Todd Berringer. His name was not released.

The driver of the truck, which belongs to Accu-Bore Directional Drilling, was turning from westbound Third Street onto southbound Hetherton Street when the collision occurred, Berringer said.

Police do not believe there were any other factors that caused the accident beyond the driver failing to see the pedestrians, Berringer said. The cause is still under investigation.

The driver, an Accu-Bore employee, is "fully cooperating" with authorities, and has voluntarily submitted to a blood test. Drugs or alcohol are not believed to be a factor, Berringer said.

Police have received conflicting reports about whether the pedestrians were walking toward or away from the San Rafael Transit Center.

Several bystanders said they saw the accident or the immediate aftermath.

"I was already looking toward the direction in which the accident happened," said Johnny Howlin of San Rafael, "and as I'm watching I see something I didn't think I was going to see: two pedestrians end up getting run over."

Howlin said he knew the female victim was dead, while the male victim "seemed to be responsive" a few seconds after the accident.

San Rafael's Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating the collision. The California Highway Patrol conducted a vehicle inspection of the dump truck.